Cornet



(No Model.)

F; J. RIOHMAND.

CORNET.

No. 593,690. Patented Nov. 16,1897.

we 0am: PETERS co. PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, o. c

FRANCIS JOSEPH RIOHMAND, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CORNET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,690, dated November 16, 1897. Application filed June 29, 1896. gerial No. 597,365. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS JOSEPH RIcH- MAND, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oornets and other Valved Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object, mainly, the production of a cornet having several points or features of advantage over similar instruments heretofore constructed, and especially the qualities of executing runs and rapid phrases and sections of producing clear and true tones, particularly in the upper register, and of dispensing with tuning-slides and Water-draining slides and the use of separate shanks or bits for tuning the instrument in harmony with other instruments, such as an organ or a piano.

To these ends and objects my said invention embraces apiston-Valve of improved construction having a short action, a socket of novel construction at the mouthpiece end of the instrument, consisting, essentially, of a telescopic adjustable shank and means for looking the same, and a regulating cup or device of novel construction on the mouthpiece operating by the pressure of the lips to Vary the size of the orifice at the bottom of the cup to produce notes in the upper register with clearness and fullness of tone and with less fatigue to the muscles.

These several improvements and the manner in which I proceed to construct, apply, and carry out the same are explained at length in the following description, in which reference is had to the drawings that acoompany and form part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the said drawings represents in side view a cornet in which these improvements are combined and arranged for operation. Fig. 2 is a back view taken from the left-hand side of the instrument. Fig. 3 is a Vertical cross-section through the center of one of the piston-valves and its case. Fig. 4 is a front view of the valves with the outer shell of the case or body broken away. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section taken through the telescopic tuningsection on the mouthpiece ond. Fig. 6 is a cross-section through the same part at no as. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section taken through the center of the mouthpiece and the orifice-regulator. Fig. 8 is an end view of Fig. 7, taken from the right-hand side of Fig. 7.

The valves A differ from the usual pistonvalves of cornets and other wind instruments in having a common case or closure A Without partitions and also having flattened or oval apertures in the case, to which the tubes are joined by end portions of corresponding flattened or oval shape in cross-section. By virtue of this construction the valves are made much more compact, a short action and quick return of the valve is obtained with an opening and passage of full area through the valve, and the number of elbows and short bends in the tubes is greatly reduced.

The case A in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4., inclusive, has three pistonvalves A A A with linger-keys a to operate them in one direction, and springs Z), behind the piston, to return them when the pressure of the fingers is removed. These pistons are fitted closely together to move one against the other without requiring separating partitions or guides other than the pistons themselves. The piston is a plug of flattened rectangular shape, and the case is made of corresponding shape and of proper width to contain the pistons, which may be three or more, according to the kind of in struments. I

The case A is provided on the front or outer side with a flattened inlet-aperture 1 in the middle or about midway between the top and bottom of the case on the front or that side which is set to the outside of the instrument, one of these apertures being lo cated in line with each valve or piston and all three of the apertures in a line across the valve-case. The opposite side of the case has a set of three outlet-apertures 2 3 at in vertical line, one below the other ateach piston.

' The tubes 0 G G or conducting-passages of varying lengths from the mouthpiece to the bell are connected with the bell through the valves in the following manner: The conductor 0 from the mouthpiece is connected to the inlet 1 at the first valve A, and

the outlet 4 of that valve on the opposite side of the valve-case is connected by the second tube 0 with the inlet 1 of either the second or third valve at the front side of the case A. In the present construction this tube 0 is brought from thelower outlet & of the first valve A around to the front inlet 1 of the third valve A Thethird conductor 0 connects the lower outlet 4 of this valve A with the front inlet 1 of the second valve A and the lower outlet 1 of that valve finally is connected with the bell B of the instrument by the tube C". The aperture 2 of each valve on the back of the valve-case is connected with the middle inlet 3 on the same side by the loop or extension tube D, the last-mentioned aperture 3, beinglocated just over and in line with the aperture t, connects with the aperture, so that when the piston is pressed down the aperture t is opened into the aperture 3 by the recess in the back face of the piston. This connection of the two apertures together throws the additional length of the extension-passage D into the tube or conducting-passage C. Such construc tion of valve and connecting-tubes is the same in the case of all the valves, and when any one key is pressed down the passages and recesses in the piston open the extension-passage D into the main or principal tube 0, that connects the lower aperture i at the back of the case with the middle aperture 1 in the front side of the next piston, by which means the air must travel the additional length of such extension before passing through the next passage on its way out through the bell.

In the elevated position of the piston the apertures 1 and -1- at the opposite sides of the valve are connected directly together through the lower inclined passage (b though the piston and the extension '1) are cut out.

The curved tubes 0 U U should be provided with water-valves, (represented at lV.) These are located at the lowest part of the bendin each tube, into which all the passages drain, because the extension-tubes l) l) are set at such an angle that no water can collect in them, but will run down into the lowest bend of each curved tube, where the watervalve \V is placed. These water-keys may be connected together by a rigid bar \V, so that they can be operated all together by a single pressure. The valves are also kept clear of water by providing a small outlet a in the bottom. of the valve-ease under each piston.

The telescoping regulator Gis composed of two straight sections of tubes 9 one somewhat smaller in diameter than the other and fitting into the larger section concentrically, with an annular space between them of proper size to receive the end of the straight tube 0 and sliding smoothly on it, yet with a close fit to prevent the escape of air outward between the tubes. Such piece G, while movable longitudinally upon the tube C, is locked seaeso and held in position by a row of transverse slots or recesses 7L h on one side of a longitudinal slot or way ll, running along one side of the passage between the two tubes, and a pin I, fixed in the side of the stationary tube and projecting into this slot. Byturning the sliding part partly around the pin 1 will enter one of the slots 7L and hold this part G from sliding back upon the tube 0 under the pressure of the lips against the mouthpiece, or by turning the part G in the opposite direction the pin is disengaged from the locking-slot and brought into line with the way ll, in

which position the part G is free to slide on the tube 0. The small knobs g furnish a handle for turning and adjusting this regulator on the end of the instrument. As thus constructed this part G is permanently attached and always in place on the instrument. It takes the place of separate shanks and bits and also dispenses with the usual tuning-slides in the tubes between the valves and the bell. This greatly simplifies the eonstruction of these instruments.

The mouthpiece M is composed of a shank or body m tapered to [it and make a tight joint in the end of the regulator G, and a cup m of ordinary shape, attached to the shank by a scrow-joint in. Over the cup is an outer shell M, approaching in shape the outline oi. the cup, somewhat larger in diameter or breadth, so that space is left between this shell and the cup it incloses, and the shell is capable of limited movement longitudinally when pressure is applied against its outer end. This end of the shell is finished with a Hat rim and turned iu flanges m, fitting closely into the cup and within or below the inner edge of the rim. A coil-spring l in the space between the on p and this surrounding shell presses the shell outward and holds it normally away from the rim oi. the cup. By the pressure of the lips against the shell the spring is compressed and the shell is movedinward toward the rim of the cup. One end of this spring rests upon the shoulder "mi, formed by the joint uniting the cup to the shank, and the opposite end bears against a shoulder on on the inside of the shell. At such point the flanged rim of the shell is joined to the body by a screw-joint m The outward movement of the shell is limited by a stop-flange m at the bottom or inner end, and the inward movement is controlled by the rim m meeting the rim of the cup. ucl: longitudinal movement of the shell is made to vary the size of the orilice at the bottom of the cup through. the medium of tongues or narrow strips of metal E 1i, extending from the turned-in flange m downward into the cup and bent at their lower ends to conform to the inside curvature oi the cup. These tongues are of such length that their lower ends terminate at the rim of the orillee at the bottom of the cup when the shell stands away from the rim of the mouthpiece but under the movement of the shell toward the cup the tongues are pressed down into the orifice and thereby contract the area of the passage to a greater or less degree, according to the amount of pressure applied against the rim of the shell. By this means the orifice and passage at the bottom of the shell is so contracted that notes of the upper register are produced with much less effort and with much less strain and tension of the muscles of the lip than in the use of the mouthpiece without this regulating device.

It will be evident that these features and improvements can be applied to many kinds of wind instruments other than cornets, and I therefore do not confine or limit myself to their application and combination to cornets alone.

It should be mentioned that these improvements can be applied and adapted with special advantage in the construction of band instruments larger than the cornetsuch as the alto horn, for examplefor in such case they enable the shape of the instrument or the arrangement of the tubes to be so modified that the instrument may be carried on the left arm of the player with the bell to the front and the valves in convenient position for the right hand. As there are no sliding sections in them, it will be seen that these tubes can be bent to round curves or in such form that a large opening can be provided for the arm and thus allow the instrument to be carried with less fatigue.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a cornet, or other similar wind instrument, the combination of a valve-case having inlet-apertures 1 on one side, rows of apertures 2 3 t on the opposite side, pistons separating the apertures on one side from those on the other side of said case, passages in said pistons connecting the apertures 2 3 and 4 with the apertures 1 in different positions of the valves, keys for moving said pistons in one direction and springs for returning the pistons to normal position when the keys are released, and curved tubes joined to the valvecase at the apertures and connecting the inlet-aperture 1 of one valve with the mouthpiece of the instrument and the outlet-aper tures on the opposite side of the same valve with the inlet-aperture of another valve of the same set.

2. A valve for oornets and similar wind instruments, composed of a case, a set of piston-valves with flattened sides, apertures in said case located on opposite sides of the valve-case and separated by the pistons passages in said pistons adapted to connect said apertures in the case together through the valves in different order or relation according to the position assumed by the valves, a key to move each valve and a spring to return the valve to normal position when its key is released.

3. The combination, with the valve-case A having apertures 1 in one side and apertures 2 in the opposite side, of the curved tubes 0 C 0 connecting the shank or tube 0 of the instrument with its bell through the valvecase, each of said tubes having a water-valve at the lowest part of its curve, the upwardlyinclined loops or extensions D connected with the apertures 3 and 4 of the valve-case and draining into the said curved tubes through the valve case, and the pistons movable in said case and provided with inclined passages, substantially as described, for operation as set forth.

4:. In a cornet or similar wind instrument, the combination, with the fixed tube or mouthpiece end of the instrument, of the telescoping section G composed of the concentricallyset tubes fitted together to take the stationary tube 0 between them and to slide upon said tube and having the locking-slots h h and the locking-pin I, constructed for operation as set forth.

5. In a cornet or similar wind instrument, amouthpiece composed of a shank, a cup having an orifice at the bottom, the shell M having a fiat rim and a turned-in flange covering the rim of the cup and setting into the mouth thereof, a coil-spring between the cup and the shell, and tongues on the shell extending down on the inside of the cup to the orifice at the bottom thereof.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

FRANCIS JOSEPH RICIIMAND. [n Witnesses EDWARD OsBoaN, M. REGNER. 

